The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission reports they have lost all data from their database for employers and lobbyists back to March 18.

Any forms filed online since March 18 will need to be refiled.

This includes all March 1 to March 31 forms due on Monday, April 15.

Because of the loss of data, the Legislative Ethics Commission is granting an extension through April 30 to re-file any previously filed reports that were lost.

If you file online after Monday, April 15, the system automatically issues a late notice on your screen.

The commission indicates filers can ignore the notice.

Paper filers do not need to take any action.

Although the portal is back up and working, the commission recommends waiting until Monday, April 15 or after to re-file reports.

Additional information is available at https://klec.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx.

The Legislature quietly adjourned sine die on March 7 after passing a procurement and campaign finance bill.

House Bill 1471 modifies the state procurement procedures and revises definitions concerning competitive, sole source, convenience, and emergency goods and services contracts.

Senate Bill 5857 reorganizes the campaign disclosure and contributions statutes through technical amendments involving campaign disclosure and contributions at the state and local levels.

These bills will now be sent to the governor for his signature.

Following sentencing of former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s chief of staff, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced a series of ethics reforms to strengthen enforcement and require more transparency and disclosure regarding the financial dealings of lobbyists.

House Bill 4591 requires lobbyists to report compensation received from clients and gives the secretary of state more authority to investigate violations of the Lobbyist Registration Act.

The bill also would allow the secretary of state to investigate anyone who is lobbying but has not registered as a lobbyist.

The office could revoke, suspend, or bar a person from lobbying for up to one year if failing to file reports or pay a fine.

Lobbyists will be required to keep records for three years, up from two, or face possible revocation of their license.

Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation inspired by the 2023 session’s chief judge battle.

Senate Bill 4152 would have required lobbying groups to disclose spending on campaigns for or against gubernatorial nominees to state office, including the nomination or confirmation of any person for a position subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Hochul’s initial nominee for chief judge of the state Court of Appeals, Hector D. LaSalle, sparked fierce efforts to support and oppose his appointment, including unregulated campaigns that sought to alter the outcome.

The groups lobbying for LaSalle’s nomination voluntarily reported their lobbying while the groups lobbying against LaSalle’s nomination declined to do so, stating there was no requirement to report.

Senate Democrats blocked the nomination of LaSalle, marking the first time the Legislature has not confirmed a candidate for the Court of Appeals.

Hochul cited significant new reporting requirements and implementation costs not already accounted for in her veto memo.

The City Council recently passed an ordinance codifying lobbyist registration fees and fee penalties.

The registration fee is $500 with a late filing fee of $10 per day for registrations and reports and a fee cap of $1,000.

The ordinance also implements a partial or complete waiver of registration fees for a local governmental lobbyist who, along with other criteria, is a salaried employee of an organization or association that is a 501(c)(3).

The ordinance also establishes a lobbyist training requirement and lobbyists must complete an online training session offered by the Public Ethics Commission with 60 days of initial registration.

Quarterly reports will now be due no later than the last day of the month following the end of each calendar quarter.

This ordinance is effective immediately.

The Bureau of Elections posted the Lobby Registration Act 2024 Reporting Thresholds, which change every year in January to reflect the change in the consumer price index for Detroit.

The registration thresholds for individual lobbyist compensation and for employer expenditures on a single official increased from $725 to $775.

Exempt expenditures increased from $15 to $16.

The registration threshold for an employer making lobbying expenditures increased from $2,900 to $3,075 for any 12-month period.

The financial transaction threshold between a registered employer or lobbyist and a public official increased from $1,450 to $1,550.

The reporting threshold for travel and lodging reimbursements increased from $950 to $1,000.

Monthly food and beverage expenditures allowance for a public official increased from $72 to $76, and the threshold for food and beverages purchased between January 1 and end the reporting period increased from $450 to $475.

Employee reimbursements increased from $29 to $31, and the general gift threshold also increased from $72 to $76.

Late filing fees increased from $29 a day up to a maximum of $870, to $31 a day up to a maximum of $930.

The Appellate Division, Third Department granted a stay and injunction in the matter of Cuomo v. COELIG.

The state Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government issued a statement from Chair Frederick A. Davie and Executive Director Sandford N. Berland announcing this decision allows the Commission to continue its work and fulfill its mission as the appeal works its way through the judicial process.

They also announced that registration terminations in the online lobbying application (‘LA’) have been launched for lobbyists and public corporation registrations for the 2023-2024 biennial period.

Lobbyists and public corporations wanting to terminate earlier than the end date specified in the lobbying agreement are now able to terminate the entire lobbying relationship within LA.

Additionally, the lobbying application will automatically terminate registrations with lobbying agreements that reach the end date specified in the agreement, and all registrations that reach December 31st of the second year of a biennial period, with no action required by the lobbyist or client.

A Sarasota commissioner has proposed an act to require lobbyist registration for any person hired for the purpose of lobbying.

The act is intended to diminish clandestine lobbying done in secret by private individuals.

This act will affect anyone paid to lobby the city on any matter and require them to disclose their client and the purpose of their lobbying.

The act will exempt those who are not compensated for lobbying activities or those lobbying on behalf of the community.

Finally, the act will establish a public database with a maintained list of lobbyists, their clients, and the subjects of their lobbying.

The General Assembly passed House Bill 259 on September 22.

Gov. Roy Cooper has indicated he will not veto the bill and allow the bill to become law without his signature.

House Bill 259 increases the lobbyist and principal registration fee from $250 to $500.

It also establishes an expedited pass for lobbyists and liaison personnel to accelerate entry into the State Legislative Building and the Legislative Office Building during the hours these buildings are open to the public.

The Legislative Services Commission may charge lobbyists a fee of up two $2,000 and liaison personnel a fee of up to $1,000 per pass, for each regular session.

On September 11, the City Council of Kelowna, British Columbia established a Lobbyist Registry Council Policy.

The aim stated in the new policy, Council Policy 390 Lobbyist Registry, is to promote transparency by establishing registration and disclosure requirements for those seeking to influence a decision of council.

The council chose a policy rather than enacting a by-law.

The Policy applies to all lobbyists engaging in lobbying of a council member.

Lobbying is defined as communicating verbally or in writing, or to meet with an elected official for the purpose of influencing a decision of the council. A lobbyist is defined as an individual, whether paid or voluntary, who lobbies an elected official regarding a matter within the council’s jurisdiction.

The lobbyist may represent individual interests or represent an organization, whether employed by that organization or on behalf of a different organization.

A lobbyist must register with the city within 5 days of lobbying a council member.

Each registration is considered active for six months, after which a new registration must be filed for lobbying activities.

It is anticipated that the Lobbyist Registry will be available on the city’s website in the coming weeks.

The Oakland Ethics Commission passed a Master Fee Schedule including a newly added annual lobbyist registration fee of $500 and a late filing fee of $10 per day for registrations and reports.

The City Council approved the inclusion of the additional fees in the annual Master Fee Schedule yearly update.

Currently, the Ethics Commission is seeking to alter the new fee structure.

The commission is seeking to waive fees for 501(c)(3) organizations with less than $750,000 in annual revenue; a reduction of fees with less than $200,000 in annual revenue; and a reduced fee for third and fourth quarter registrants.

The new proposal has been sent to the City Council for their approval.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1317 and Senate Bill 5152, updating campaign and lobbying rules in response to current technologies and practices involving online activity and social media. House Bill 1317 was designed to shed light on special interest “astroturfing” in grassroots lobbying. The new law expedites registration of sponsors of grassroots lobbying campaigns and increases the disclosures that must be made in the registration and any advertisements made by the lobbying campaign.

Senate Bill 5152 seeks to combat the advent of “synthetic media” political ads. These ads are created when, via artificial intelligence or other such programs, media is manipulated to cause a person (in this case a politician) to say or act in a way that did not happen. Senate Bill 5152 gives a target of synthetic media a course of action to force a sponsor or media platform to terminate the synthetic media campaign. The bill also gives the sponsor the ability to add a disclosure to the synthetic ad stating the ad or image is a synthetic media post. Both bills become effective July 23.

More ethics and campaign finance changes happening at the state level. Check out which states are making moves in today’s NYCU Video Digest!

On April 24, a bill relating to lobbying activities by political subdivisions was introduced into the Iowa Senate.

Senate Bill 639 would enact new statutes concerning political subdivisions contracting with or otherwise compensating a person to lobby on behalf of the political subdivision.

The legislation requires authorities for a political subdivision to use requests for proposals to solicit lobbying services, limits the duration for lobbying contracts to five years, and prohibits renewals of contracts without new requests for proposals.

Additionally, the bill requires public disclosure of the lobbying contract.

The proposed legislation defines “political subdivision” as a county, city, township, community college, area education agency, or school district.

The legislation also defines “lobbying” as direct action to encourage the passage, defeat, approval, veto, or modification of legislation, a rule, or an executive order being considered by the general assembly, a state agency, or a statewide elected official.